Rome, Italy, Dec 16, 2008 / 21:38 pm
The Vatican and the Italian government have criticized the imminent arrival of the abortion pill RU 486, which will be available for use in the country perhaps before the end of the year.
The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, condemned the use of the pill because of its abortifacient nature.
In comments to reporters, Cardinal Barragan said the Church “understands the drama of a young woman who is pregnant against her will, but She condemns abortion no matter how it is practiced because it is the killing of an innocent being.”
Being pregnant against one’s will is a terrible drama, the cardinal continued, but “in the hierarchy of dramas the greatest is death and more so if it is inflicted on an innocent person, as in the case of the unborn.”
“Life comes before all else,” he added.
The vice secretary of Italy’s Ministry of Health, Eugenia Roccella, said, “The assessment of the risks and benefits of the pill leaves many questions.” The Minister of Youth Policies, Giorgia Meloni, reminded Italian women that RU 486 is not a contraceptive, but rather “an abortion in all of its effects.”
The Italian Drug Agency could grant definitive authorization of the sale of the drug in Italy this week. Negotiations are still underway with the pill’s French manufacturer, Exelgyn, regarding the price.